A Revelation in the Light of Day: Silver Lining
by Wyvernhail
Summary: There was no one else Tatsuki hated more. He was the embodiment of arrogance and pride, everything she despised, and still the Hyūga awoke something foreign within her. Whoever said that there was a thin line between love and hate had not been lying. AU


_**A/N:**_ I can gladly say that I am the first to write a Neji and Tatsuki story. I don't know how the pairing will be embraced, but I hope that you at least don't absolutely hate it. The idea to write this came to me while I was writing the second chapter for _A Revelation in the Light of Day: Crimson_. The fact that Orihime awoke something in Neji in the second chapter of _A Revelation in the Light of Day: Turquoise Dreams _was accidental too, but then again while I write, things just tend to go their own way and I'm pretty sure that if you have written your own story it has probably happened to you too. They have a life of their own I tell you! I'm actually very happy this happened; the more I think about their dynamic in a relationship the more I like it. We all know Neji and we all know Tatsuki. I just think their relationship would be very interesting and fun. I don't know how long this story will be, all I know is that it will not be a one-shot. Let's see how this all turns out in the end. Hope you like this!

_**Rating:**_ M- they will be put through torturous situations (can't wait!)

_**Disclaimer:**_ Do not own Naruto or Bleach. I think we all know who their respective creators are by now.

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><p><strong>A Revelation in the Light of Day: Silver Lining<strong>

_**Something More**_

She was not your average teenage girl and she knew it. She had never been feminine, delicate, or fragile; her father had raised her in a way in which she would never have to depend on anyone to defend her. She had always been petite; she was easily one of the smallest in her grade, but she could easily overpower anybody be it male or female. Her father was proud of the daughter he had raised. Tatsuki's father was a renowned martial arts master and owned several dojos in the region, people came from all over just to say that they had set foot in one of Sensei Arisawa's dojos. Lessons had to be reserved months in advance and there was even a waiting list. She had the privilege of being taught by him and felt honored; despite the fact that he was her father she had to earn that privilege, he didn't teach her simply because she was his daughter but because he had seen something in her. "Something special" was what he had said.

Tatsuki was proud to say that because of the beliefs and morals her father had instilled in her since at a young age, she had become the person she was now. Her mother had passed away when she was only two and her father had taken up both roles. She was an only child and for that she was glad, Seto Arisawa had too many things to handle and another child would have just been too much for the young father to deal with on his own. It might even be selfish on her part but she liked the fact that it was just the two of them; her father was also her best friend. He had taught her everything that was usually shared between a mother and daughter; she remembered the way he panicked when she first started her menstrual cycle. She didn't like talking about those things with her friends, but she had learned what to do through her health class and she would have kept it a secret from him had it not been for the evidence she had left behind. Tatsuki tried to hide the sheets to wash later when she came back from school, but her father found them, panicked, and confronted her about it. To their utter embarrassment and discomfort she told him the truth. They had been unable to look each other in the eye for the rest of the week. Tatsuki loved her father. He raised her the best way he knew how and had done an excellent job. Had her father been somebody else she would not have been so lucky.

Now that she thought about it maybe that was one of the reasons that she had been able to relate with Orihime so well and then later with Hinata. The circumstances that led to their situation were different, but they were all broken just the same. Orihime had abusive parents and had been saved by her brother Sora; they died a few years after he ran away with her. Hinata had lost her mother during the birth of her younger sister Hanabi, leaving them with their father and their cousin— Neji he had lost his father as well as a child. Tatsuki wasn't completely sure why but just the thought of him, the mere mention of his name, and the sight of him made her skin crawl and her blood boil. She loved Hanabi and Hinata, though the two sisters had similar personalities they were polar opposites. Neji though— he was a completely separate issue.

If she was to be truly honest with herself she could recall when her "dislike" for him had started— hate is such an ugly word, but her feelings towards him were pretty close to that. It happened shortly after the Hyūgas had moved to Karakura; the three girls quickly became best friends and started to have sleepovers at each others' houses every weekend. It was Hinata's turn and she of course had asked her father for permission before letting them go over. That was the first time they met Hanabi and Neji and she would never forget that day.

_Hinata's father was not home yet, he had long days at the office and wouldn't be back until dinner time. Hiashi Hyūga would spend twelve hours at work daily only to do it all over again the following day; that man gave a whole new meaning to the word work-a-holic. They had been introduced to Hanabi first and she resembled Hinata a lot, except for a few key differences there was no telling them apart at that age. _

_Just before dinner their older cousin Neji came home, he was one year their senior. He had been training somewhere— Tatsuki couldn't recall where and not that it mattered anyway— the snobby Hyūga didn't like to be interrupted while he was training, God forbid something interrupted his precious concentration. He had entered the house undetected; he had been noticed until he was leaning against the doorframe in Hinata's room, the four girls had been too distracted by their conversation. Hinata and Orihime were sitting on the bed while she and Hanabi had their backs against it; the younger Hyūga had quickly taken a liking to her._

_They had all nearly jumped out of their skin when he spoke. "Hinata you should know better than to allow a boy into your room, let alone when your father or I aren't here."_

_She felt heat envelop her face at his statement and heard the girls collectively gasp. At the time her hair had been styled very short… and it was true it did resemble a boy's haircut… and not to mention that it was her father who dressed her, there were no pinks or purples in her wardrobe. "Neji that's very mean of you to say. Tatsuki's not a boy she's a girl!" Hanabi was the one that spoke in her defense the other three had yet to recover from his insulting assumption._

_Neji smirked in a way that made her think he had known all along she was a girl. His reaction only infuriated her more and made her want to punch him; unfortunately she couldn't. Instead she settled for a comeback, "I thought you said your cousin wouldn't be finished with her training until later." Instantly that trademark smirk of his she would come to hate over the years was gone from his face. He stood there looking at her unblinking until he decided against continuing the argument and walked away. That was the unspoken moment in which they had communicated their dislike for one another for years to come._

"_I-I'm s-sorry Tatsuki, but Neji's just overprotective. H-he didn't m-mean anything b-by it." That was just like Hinata always apologizing for others._

"_Don't worry about it, Hinata." She didn't apologize for calling him a girl for he really did look like one, more than she did anyway, Neji Hyūga was a girly boy._

After their first encounter they had many more disagreements, for lack of a better word. It was as if Neji liked picking fights with her and she enjoyed putting him in his place, somebody needed to do it. Some time later she began to see more of him. She became best friends with Hinata as well as a very close friend of Hanabi's, and on top of all that her father became his sensei. There was no avoiding him. Neji Hyūga followed her _everywhere_.

Over the years, they became more civil towards one another if only to keep up appearances out of consideration for her father, Hinata, and Hanabi. In the end, no matter how much they liked to pretend their disdain for each other was nonexistent it was bright as day, they fooled no one. Still they kept up with the charade if only to make their encounters more bearable for themselves and those around them.

Neji graduated from high school a year before they did so at least they had been free of his presence during that time. However, now they would all be attending Karakura University and even if he was living in an apartment that didn't belong to the university— he was living with enough roommates to start a gang and some of them looked to be some pretty shady characters, especially that Hidan and Kakuzu guy— she would be seeing a lot more of him than she wanted to.

Her dreaded fear became a reality the day Hinata moved into the apartment. Hanabi had been more than happy to see her partner in crime after her months long absence, but she had still reprimanded Tatsuki for not setting aside time exclusively for her. Her happy mood had gone to hell as soon as he walked in the door.

"Hyūga," she had greeted him civilly enough, but her stance and the tension about her spoke something else entirely.

His disposition must have mirrored her own for his tone had sounded just like hers. "Arisawa," he seemed to have been holding his breath.

All she knew was that if her day started off with a visit from him, it would _not_ be a good day.

The Hyūgas exchanged pleasantries with Orihime, what was being said she had no idea; she was feeling too uncomfortable and had toned them out. She kept repeating to herself that he would leave soon and she wouldn't have to see him at least for a day if she was lucky; his overprotective nature towards Hinata would no doubt bring him to their door _at least_ once a day. She sighed, _'I am not looking forward to this!'_

Tatsuki had been avoiding looking in his general direction, but had been drawn to Orihime when she said something silly and heard her laugh. She didn't know what had made her look at Neji then, but all she knew was that something had compelled her to look at him. It was then that she caught it… the way he had looked at Orihime. Her breath hitched, she couldn't describe it. She grasped for it but couldn't put her thoughts in order. The way he looked at her had been different. In all the years she had know the cold Hyūga she had never seen him with that light in his eyes, not even when he looked at his dear cousins whom he thought of as younger sisters. It had been brief but it had been there nonetheless.

Whatever it had been it had left behind a feeling of rage in its wake. Tatsuki had never felt anything quite like it; all she knew was that she didn't like it and didn't approve of it. _'How dare he… how dare he set his eyes on her!'_

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><p><em><strong>AN:**_ That's the first chapter and I know it's a bit short. I just wanted an introductory chapter and I wanted to get this out there. Tatsuki and Neji won't leave me alone! I hope you're at least a little bit interested in this pairing and keep up with it. It will be updated more or less at the same pace as _Crimson_ for they go hand in hand. This story is affected in a way by Orihime… Let me know what you think please! Thank you for taking the time to read this!

_**-Wyvernhail**_


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